Entertainment Spotlight

By Ben Fong-Torres
It’s short shrift time.
I have a life that’s ripe (and slightly wrinkled) for blogs and tweeting; for facebooking and updating.
I’m just no good at it. My last column here on AsianConnections was about the memorial in late July for my sister Shirley. My last posting on the authors’ site, Redroom, was about a radio promo tour I did (20 stops, all on the phone...

Arts & Entertainment Articles

Astronaut Leroy Chiao's Space Blog-Ching Hai Hu, China: This was one of the first picture that I shot of China. I opened the window and there it was! We were in an attitude that looked out horizontally, instead of straight down at the earth. This perspective allows one to capture a long distance in one shot. In this case, I used a 50mm lens to capture the big picture. The lake is very large and dramatic.

Astronaut Leroy Chiao's Space Blog-Nepal/Chinese border region: This is a nice overview, using the 50mm lens. The snow-capped Himalayas are readily visible. Note the interesting contrast. In the foreground, is the Indian border, with the Bramaputra river just out of view. the valley is covered in a thick smog layer. This layer however, does not extend up into mountainous Nepal. Beyond the Himalayas, lies China. Several lakes are visible, thanks to the clean air in this sparsely populated area.

Astroanut Leroy Chiao's Space Blog-Chi Lien Mountains: Just behind Ching Hai Hu lie the Chi Lien mountains. Behind this range is located the Chinese launch center, near Jiuquan. I have not yet found the launch site to photograph, but I know where it is now and will try in the future. This photo was taken with a 400mm lens, as one can see from the detail.

Astronaut Leroy Chiao's Space Blog-South Africa: It was a beautiful day in South Africa and I used a 50mm lens to get a good overview of the area. This was another chance shot. I opened the cover and this was the view that filled the window! Days like this, where the weather is so clear, are few and far between.

Astronaut Leroy Chiao's Space Blog-Salamat Basin in Chad: This is one of my favorite shots. I used a 400mm lens and caught this piece of the Salamat Basin in Chad. The different colors of the sand form an interesting contrast to the rock structures. The tops of the rock look as if they have been sanded down to the same height, while the sides are rough and jagged. There is something very appealing about this one.